E.R. Butler & Co.

Store Hours

You could consider this collection of work to be a continuation of the show from last year, but that isn't entirely correct.

“The purpose of the ‘Momentum’ show was to build just that, momentum. Not just as a reference to the kinetic nature of some of the work, it is also an analogy to the process of making. When an artist hits their stride and falls into a groove. They physically cannot stop. These periods of intense creativity are broad and prolific. And they are not constrained by function or trend or each other.”

This new work holds a softer, gentler place. There is a smoothness and solidity to the pieces, a departure from the lithe and finicky artifacts from last year. Allowing lines to connect visually instead of literally with chain and metal, the viewer assumes a more integral role as a participant. Not only does the work require physical attention to set it in motion, but visual attention to translate and resolve optical effects and subtle slight of hand. There is a clear formal continuity connecting the show from last year, though this year finds the pieces edging back into functional territory. A place they weren't supposed to be.

“In much of my other work, there exists some intention or purposeful end result. It is liberating to make for the sake of making regardless of a purpose. While some of the products in this show could be considered ‘functional,’ they were not intended to be just that. These are all simple compositions of elements arranged in a provocative way. Some light up. Some seem familiar. But all of them are simply materials that have been manipulated by my hands.”

As with last year, this body of work cements the foundation on which to build another layer and continue the exploration.